Gambling on horse racing within Israel is not
legal, and Hakol Chai introduced a bill in the Knesset that would
ban gambling on all sports involving animals. However, the Ministry
of Sports and Culture gave permission to the Toto (Israel's Sports
Betting Board) to allow Israelis to gamble on horse races outside of
Israel, in England and Ireland.

Hakol Chai responded by organizing a protest on
November 5th, 2013, in front of the Ministry of Sports and Culture.
In connection with the protest,
ten Knesset members
sent a letter to Minister Limor Livnat, asking her to reverse
her decision. Their letter stated that Israelis' gambling on horse
racing abroad promotes the cruelties inherent in the racing industry
regardless of in which country the races take place. Were these same
cruelties performed in Israel, they would violate Israel's Animal
Protection Law.

Demonstrators line the streets in front of the Ministry of Sports
and Culture

The cruelties include: thousands bred annually, the
few fastest picked out to race, most of the rest sent to slaughter
(born to die); trained and raced at 2, when they are fastest, but
before their bones have hardened, so they suffer catastrophic
injuries and must be euthanized; bleeding in the lungs from being
pushed beyond their limits, which can be fatal; chronic ulcers,
heart attacks and more. Race horses typically end their careers at 6
(other than those who race over jumps), when they are no longer fast
enough to win races, and either go to slaughter or are sold from
hand to hand in a downward spiral of abuse.

Posters representing tombstones of actual racehorses,
with their photos, date of death, age, and how they died

Israel has no place for the many abused, unwanted
horses in the country now. If racing comes to Israel, it will have
to build slaughterhouses to kill hundreds of healthy, young horses
every year just because they are not fast enough to win races.
Raising horses requires an enormous amount of water, which Israel
does not have. Israel can find other ways of earning money besides
abusing animals.

Minister Livnat responded to the letter from the
Knesset members by saying that Israel's Animal Protection Law does
not apply to races held outside of Israel so the cruelties to horses
in other countries are of no concern to Israelis. She attempted to
justify the cruelties on the grounds that money earned from gambling
abroad will help promote sports in Israel. She declined to reverse
her decision.

Hakol Chai's demonstration was covered by four
media channels. Hakol Chai will continue its campaign against
gambling on horse racing coming to Israel, and against the
misrepresentation of horse racing as a sport, instead of what it
actually is—animal abuse.

Left: Hakol Chai representative Reut Reshef is interviewed by Ynet,
an Israeli news site
Right: Demonstrators stand at a crosswalk to ensure that drivers see
their message